


the beginnings of our maybe

by mjonesing (klassmartin)



Series: our maybe [2]
Category: Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: A prequel of sorts, Alternate Universe, F/M, Nap-time for Spideychelle, Ned and MJ are step-siblings, Peter is a Little Shit, Pre-Relationship, Sharing a Bed, Unfortunately lacking in Ned but... Next time?, whats new
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-06
Updated: 2020-09-06
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:01:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,344
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26305285
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/klassmartin/pseuds/mjonesing
Summary: “You look like shit, Parker. Did you wake up early or just never go to sleep?”He grimaces, scratching the back of the neck. “I slept at some point, probably.”“For longer than twenty minutes?”“Don’t tease me about my insomnia, MJ.”The smile threatening to envelope her face drops, afraid she’s pushed a nerve she didn’t know existed until she spots the sparkle of humour in his dark eyes.Then, with a courage that impresses her as much as it floors her, he presses forward and steps a little too close to say, “Sleeping with you was the best sleep I’ve gotten in years.”Her lungs forget how to process oxygen.
Relationships: Michelle Jones/Peter Parker
Series: our maybe [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1911313
Comments: 12
Kudos: 42





	the beginnings of our maybe

**Author's Note:**

> Prompts from anon:
> 
> 40\. “We could... take a nap together?“  
> 46\. “Sleeping with you was the best sleep I’ve gotten in years.”
> 
> You can’t send me prompts about sleep and not expect me to fall back into this universe.

The front door opening startles her out of the doze she was just about to succumb to. It’s not exactly an uncommon noise in this household - two working parents and five kids amounts to a lot of coming and going - but it’s a Saturday morning, the few hours of peace she‘s afforded each week when everyone is out to run various errands and attend extra-curriculars. 

She glances at the ornate clock on the wall opposite. She definitely should still be alone for a little while longer. 

“Hello? Anyone home?”

Michelle relaxes her grip around the blunt scissors. “In here, loser.”

Peter strolls around the corner, the mid-morning light glowing against his skin. He smiles at her, hands buried in his pockets as his gaze skitters around the room instead of meeting hers, taking in the faded paint and chipped frames encasing art prints that have fallen out of style - one of the only rooms left that her mother hasn’t gotten her creative hands on. 

Peter’s usually so comfortable within the old walls of this house, countless visits amounting to him basically growing up here as much as the Leed’s boys, but today he falters, like his skin is suddenly two sizes too small.

She doesn’t blame him, really, given the circumstances. 

It’s been a week since she woke up in his arms with a cotton mouth and a sore head, and so far they’ve managed to wordlessly tailor their socialising so Ned is always in the middle - a buffer, of sorts, as they work out how to pretend nothing happened. It’s the first time they’ve truly been alone, and her traitorous mind skips right to the caress of his hand across the bare skin of her back, the same image that now keeps her up at night. 

“Hey, MJ. Uh… Are you here by yourself?”

Michelle fiddles with the highlighter cap, trying to expel some of the nervous energy suddenly crackling through her. “Ned’s at some brunch date, won’t be back for a bit.”

“Oh. Right, of course. Okay.”

She clears her throat, the plastic in her hand tap-tap-tapping the aged oak tabletop. “Did you guys have plans, or…?”

“No, just thought I’d head over and see if he needed any help.” Peter shrugs, mouth rambling at a speed that would impress the debate team. “I woke up early so got a jump start on my homework and we got this random essay from Mrs Easling that he’s been stressing out over -“

“I know, I was there.”

“- Of course you were; you’re in our class. In the chair behind me. Of course you know.” Peter’s cheeks have reached a deep ruby shade Michelle didn’t even know was possible, and she can’t help the smile that stretches across her face as he rocks back and forth on the balls of his feet. 

“Are you done?”

His nod is strained and directed at the laminate floor. 

“Do you want me to pretend that didn’t happen?”

“Yes, please.”

She sighs, pushing back her chair and standing up in one fluid motion, resting instead on the edge of the dining table. “You look like shit, Parker. Did you wake up early or just never go to sleep?”

He grimaces, scratching the back of the neck. “I slept at some point, probably.”

“For longer than twenty minutes?”

“Don’t tease me about my insomnia, MJ.” 

The smile threatening to envelope her face drops, afraid she’s pushed a nerve she didn’t know existed until she spots the sparkle of humour in his dark eyes. 

Then, with a courage that impresses her as much as it floors her, he presses forward and steps a little too close to say, “Sleeping with you was the best sleep I’ve gotten in years.”

Her lungs forget how to process oxygen. “That… That was probably the alcohol.”

“Maybe,” he says with a smile, but she gets the feeling he doesn’t mean that at all. “You don’t look so well-rested either, Jones.”

“The willingly paid price of being well read.” She tilts her chin up in defiance of her racing heart. “What’s it to you?”

“How long until Ned’s home?” he asks, sounding a little out of breath. He’s so close she can almost feel his body heat and it muddles her thoughts with ideas of doing something about it; something other than stepping back to regain her equilibrium. 

“Uh, a couple of hours? You only just missed him heading out.”

“So we have time.”

He’s staring at her so intensely that her knees feel like they’re about to give out on her, the table pressing a hard line into the back of her thighs as he crowds into her space.

“Time for what?”

“You’re worked up - stressed - in need of a… Release. See, we have a shared problem; seems only right that we share the solution.” Peter’s hand darts out to steady her as she teeters between upright and horizontal. From the way his eyes drop to her mouth, he must hear the  _ whoosh _ of air that escapes her at the touch. “And we’re friends, right? Friends help each other out.”

“Peter, what are you…”

“I thought, maybe… Maybe we could… Take a nap together?”

His smirk is grossly victorious as all the tension he’s twisted releases from her in a definitive slump. Michelle’s eyes narrow as he squeezes her hip before letting go, stepping back to take in his work as she fights to pick her jaw up from the floor.

“You’re a little shit, Peter,” she manages to wheeze out, the bite of her words lost in the flush that still consumes her. 

“You deserve it! You haven’t spoken to me properly since last weekend.” Peter pouts, his bottom lip jutting out in a way that makes her bite her tongue. “Are you really that embarrassed that we got drunk and toed a line?”

“You haven’t spoken to me either!” she splutters, crossing her arms as she paces to the other side of the room.

“I was respecting your space!”

She glares across the table that now separates them, taking a second to cool the pounding heat of her blood as it boils beneath her skin. “And I’m not  _ embarrassed _ . It was just… You’re Ned’s best friend and he’s my brother and I didn’t want to make things weird.”

“I’m also  _ your _ friend.” He settles, a little calmer and focused on the lack of eye contact she’s capable of making.

She doesn’t know how to explain to him why this makes her shrink in on herself. That he’s her friend but he was Ned’s friend first, the pair having years of memories and loyalty before she was thrown into the mix. That she cherishes the way they’ve accepted her and looked out for her more than she can possibly say, and why would she want to ruin that? 

“You wanna watch a movie?” he asks, interrupting her agonising with a hitch of his thumb towards the den. “May’s been trying to get me to finish this documentary that keeps sending me to sleep, so it’ll probably do us some good. That or we’ll learn something.”

Her eyes narrow at him. The forced innocence of his expression gives away his understanding that he’s manipulating a weakness in her - if there’s one thing Michelle can’t resist, it’s a documentary. Especially one recommended by May Parker.

“Peter…”

“Hands to myself this time, I swear.” He laces his hands together behind his back, shifting back and forth on his feet as he waits for her to decide.

“Fine.” She sighs, loud and dramatic. “But I’m bringing my homework.”

* * *

Michelle wakes up once more to the slam of the front door, her textbook still closed in her lap and Peter curled into her side, his arm wrapped around her waist and her arm securing him in place.

When she looks up to see the blank screen of their long since finished documentary, she’s alarmed to see her youngest brother has a delighted grin spread across his face, phone camera pointed straight at her compromising position.

“Riley! What the f-”

**Author's Note:**

> @mjonesing on Tumblr as always


End file.
